Holi

[Guest guest]

The item below from the Hindu Press International

listserv. I'm betting on March 18 for Holi, as it's

my birthday. Can't remember the last time there was a

full moon on my birthday, although a few years ago, my

birthday came on the first night of the spring

Navratri (April 2-10 this year). And my local temple

will be celebrating Holi (or "Phagwah" as the mostly

Indo-Caribbean devotees call it) on the 18th. I know

some kids at the temple who will be waiting for me,

squirt guns and colored powder at the ready.

 

Keval

 

 

 

Indian Govt Says Holi on March 19, But Priests Say

March 18

Source:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/printedition/130303/detCIT13.shtml

 

NEW DELHI, March 14, 2003: The Union Ministry of Home

Affairs may have declared March 19 as the official

holiday for Holi, but confusion continues. Several

religious organizations have announced that they

will celebrate Holi on March 18. Officials say that

date for Holi was decided about a year ago after

consulting the panchangam (the Hindu religious

calender.) However priests differ. "Holi cannot be

celebrated on March 19. Holika Dahan is on March 17,

the Puranmashi (the full moon) night. Therefore,

Dhulendi (the festival of colour) has to be celebrated

the next day," said Laxmi Narayan Shastri, chief

priest of Birla Temple. He also said that the

religious texts do not ban people from celebrating

Holi on Puranmashi. "The fuss is unnecessary. Holi has

 

coincided with Puranmashi on earlier occasions as

well," he said. The problem this year is that

Puranmashi starts at 7:21 p.m. on March 17

and ends on 9:45 a.m. on March 18 and some say that

Holi cannot be celebrated on March 18 because of this.

HPI would like anyone with an expert opinion on this

issue to share with our readers to please contact

ar.

 

 

 

 

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